So here goes.....
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Haruspex.
The ancient art of sacrificing a sheep or fowl for the purpose of removing its liver so it may be inspected and analyzed and read like some sort of blood and guts style set of tarot cards. Nifty Eh?
Friday, July 18, 2008
Wacky French Calendar and Clock Variation..."The Décade"
This does make one consider why or how we arrive at our arbitrary measure of a week being seven days. I had never thought about it or questioned it until recently. I had always just assumed that there was a logical reason for the 7 day week. I suppose you could say there is logic in it, although you could just as easily say there isn't any as well....
Years appear in writing as Roman numerals (usually), with epoch 22 September 1792 the beginning of the 'Republican Era' (the day the French First Republic was proclaimed, one day after the Convention abolished the monarchy). As a result, Roman Numeral I indicates the first year of the republic, that is, the year before the calendar actually came into use. The first day of each year was that of the There were twelve months, each divided into three ten-day weeks called décades. The tenth day, décadi, replaced Sunday as the day of rest and festivity. The five or six extra days needed to approximate the solar or tropical year were placed after the months at the end of each year. Each day was divided into ten hours, each hour into 100 decimal minutes and each decimal minute had 100 decimal seconds. Thus an hour was more than twice as long as a conventional hour; a minute was slightly longer than a conventional minute; and a second was slightly shorter than a conventional second. Clocks were manufactured to display this decimal time, but it did not catch on and mandatory use was officially suspended April 7 1795, although some cities continued to use decimal time as late as 1801.
Years appear in writing as Roman numerals (usually), with epoch 22 September 1792 the beginning of the 'Republican Era' (the day the French First Republic was proclaimed, one day after the Convention abolished the monarchy). As a result, Roman Numeral I indicates the first year of the republic, that is, the year before the calendar actually came into use. The first day of each year was that of the There were twelve months, each divided into three ten-day weeks called décades. The tenth day, décadi, replaced Sunday as the day of rest and festivity. The five or six extra days needed to approximate the solar or tropical year were placed after the months at the end of each year. Each day was divided into ten hours, each hour into 100 decimal minutes and each decimal minute had 100 decimal seconds. Thus an hour was more than twice as long as a conventional hour; a minute was slightly longer than a conventional minute; and a second was slightly shorter than a conventional second. Clocks were manufactured to display this decimal time, but it did not catch on and mandatory use was officially suspended April 7 1795, although some cities continued to use decimal time as late as 1801.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Oh Jeebus!
I t'was reading on the subject of the evolution of the measure of western calendar; from Babylonian lunar calendars, the Egyptian calendar (which is the mother of our contemporary calendar), the Roman "Julian" calendar and it's successor, the "Gregorian" calendar, and the various ways that Protestants tried to formulate a feasible calendar that wasn't Gregorian, ie; Catholic. Interesting stuff of course. Even to this day there is no uniform, universally agreed upon calendar, a wide range of religions, societies, and spiritualities have their on views on measuring the passing of the days. Of course, the most logical position is the most practical, the measure of the passage of time and days as our earth revolves around the sun.
I found this passage of particular interest,
" The world never entirely accepted the Gregorian reform. The Eastern Orthodox Church, wary of subjecting itself to any Roman rule, has kept the Julian calendar for its own calculation of Easter, *(1),. And so the Christian world, supposedly held together by a Prophet of Peace, has not been able to agree even on the date to celebrate the resurrection of their Savior."
*(1) - much ado was made about how to arrive at the proper day to celebrate Easter. It is a convoluted, overly complex, somewhat arbitrary matter of deduction if you ask me,.....and no one did!
I found this passage of particular interest,
" The world never entirely accepted the Gregorian reform. The Eastern Orthodox Church, wary of subjecting itself to any Roman rule, has kept the Julian calendar for its own calculation of Easter, *(1),. And so the Christian world, supposedly held together by a Prophet of Peace, has not been able to agree even on the date to celebrate the resurrection of their Savior."
*(1) - much ado was made about how to arrive at the proper day to celebrate Easter. It is a convoluted, overly complex, somewhat arbitrary matter of deduction if you ask me,.....and no one did!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
I really had NO idea!!!
History
In 1939, William Randolph Hearst advocated, through his chain of daily newspapers, the creation of a holiday to celebrate citizenship. In 1940, Congress designated the third Sunday in May as I am an American Day.
WOW!!!! Ol' Billy Randy sure was one HECK of a guy!!!!
Seriously though, national "I am an American Day"!?!?
Brilliant.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
I met an elderly man at a playground...
The playground is between South St. and Lombard St on 6th. My son was off playing and this man who I assume to have been in the range of about early to mid 70's and I began chatting. He explained to me that he was a native and life long resident of the area. Our conversation drifted and we wound up discussing the multitude of various changes that South Philadelphia has gone through. As is often the case when discussing such matters with my inner-city elders, we got to talking about one of the main paradigm shifts that gets pointed out for being a major catalyst of the perceived downward spiral of the inner-city neighborhoods ; the influx of "drugs".
The odd thing was that after all that was done being discussed this old man began explaining that the way they smoked pot was very different in his day. He explained to me that they used to take big puffs off of a joint and then exhale into a paper bag; then pass it to the next guy, who would in turn inhale the exhaled smoke, hold it, then exhale again into the bag and pass and repeat on down the line.
Wow I thought, that sounds gross.
The odd thing was that after all that was done being discussed this old man began explaining that the way they smoked pot was very different in his day. He explained to me that they used to take big puffs off of a joint and then exhale into a paper bag; then pass it to the next guy, who would in turn inhale the exhaled smoke, hold it, then exhale again into the bag and pass and repeat on down the line.
Wow I thought, that sounds gross.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Four-sign quotations
- Banana Nim banana Nim
- Banana eat me Nim
- Banana me Nim me
- Banana me eat banana
- Drink Nim drink Nim
- Drink eat drink eat
- Drink eat me Nim
- Eat Nim eat Nim
- Eat drink eat drink
- Eat grape eat Nim
- Eat me Nim drink
- Grape eat Nim eat
- Grape eat me Nim
- Me Nim eat me
- Me eat drink more
- Me eat me eat
- Me gum me gum
- Nim eat Nim eat
- Play me Nim play
- Tickle me Nim play
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Monday, June 2, 2008
Puh-Puh-Puh-Puh-Peter Puh-Puh-Paul Reubens,
What I'd do to be hanging with these bad ass crackers, ......let me count the ways..
Weird Pennsylvania Accent
On occasion I've found myself trying to explain to people that will listen, about this strange Central Pennsylvania accent I used to hear on an old co-worker of mine. This video is not even close to how extreme I've head it can be at times, but it's the best I can come by on this'y here intronet.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Iced Mint Green Tea
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
3 green tea bags
2 tablespoons honey
4 cups boiling water
2 cups sake, divided
I'm thinking ginger might be a nice addition to the mix.
MOMENTS I'M NOT EXACTLY PROUD OF....
Yes folks, I'm far from perfect. You heard it hear first.
Just in case there is a shred of doubt in anyones mind I have chosen to share with you; the non-existent readers of this journal, some of the not-so-finer moments of my life....
I received a text message last evening from an old friend, it read;
"R.I.P. John Fogerty, Nov 07 - May 08".
I was sort of shocked. Not so much by the death of John Fogerty but from the text message itself. I was at work where it is quiet and the text message alarm was REALLY loud when it "went off", it startled me.
Instantly I fired of a round of forwards to fellow Creedence fans, in order that they may begin their mourning post-haste. Moments later it occurred to me that something was amiss within the initial message.
The date.
Was it a typo? Must be. Like; he meant to say, "R.I.P. John Fogerty, Nov 47 - May 08". No folks, no. It was nothing like that what-so-ever.
I called the sender of said message and inquired as to the order of, "what the fuck"? At which point my chum gladly reminded me of the fact that he and his lady were once proud owners of a Splendid Goldfish, known to the oxygen breathing world as one "John Fogerty".
So yeah, I had to make a few embarrassing phone calls and apologize for the false alarm and reassure folks that "The Foge" is still indeed; "choogling", ( whatever that means),.
Moments I'm not exactly proud of folks.
Just in case there is a shred of doubt in anyones mind I have chosen to share with you; the non-existent readers of this journal, some of the not-so-finer moments of my life....
I received a text message last evening from an old friend, it read;
"R.I.P. John Fogerty, Nov 07 - May 08".
I was sort of shocked. Not so much by the death of John Fogerty but from the text message itself. I was at work where it is quiet and the text message alarm was REALLY loud when it "went off", it startled me.
Instantly I fired of a round of forwards to fellow Creedence fans, in order that they may begin their mourning post-haste. Moments later it occurred to me that something was amiss within the initial message.
The date.
Was it a typo? Must be. Like; he meant to say, "R.I.P. John Fogerty, Nov 47 - May 08". No folks, no. It was nothing like that what-so-ever.
I called the sender of said message and inquired as to the order of, "what the fuck"? At which point my chum gladly reminded me of the fact that he and his lady were once proud owners of a Splendid Goldfish, known to the oxygen breathing world as one "John Fogerty".
So yeah, I had to make a few embarrassing phone calls and apologize for the false alarm and reassure folks that "The Foge" is still indeed; "choogling", ( whatever that means),.
Moments I'm not exactly proud of folks.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
The face of a very very cold man.......
this nut just spent exactly one hour in freezing ice water in order to get his name in the guinness book....what a nutty nutter, freaking nutzo bonko.
More secret loves.....
Sandy Nelson records, in the "Teen Beat" style.
Started coming across these at the various flea markets that exist in the more rural and suburban areas of central Virginia in the late 90's. Usually a buck will get you in the door to owning your very own Sandy Nelson record. I'm not saying the music contained within is jaw dropping or anything, because believe me when I tell you that most certainly is NOT the case. Having said so I should add that Mr Nelsons drumming is top notch though for the style. He played on a lot of session recordings, some of which were for Jan and Dean, Phil Spector and Kim Fowley. There is just something charming about the simplicity of the tracks; the recording techniques, the aural encapsulation and bare bones basics of all things early 60's teen party music, SoCal style that is.
Any way, I likes.
Started coming across these at the various flea markets that exist in the more rural and suburban areas of central Virginia in the late 90's. Usually a buck will get you in the door to owning your very own Sandy Nelson record. I'm not saying the music contained within is jaw dropping or anything, because believe me when I tell you that most certainly is NOT the case. Having said so I should add that Mr Nelsons drumming is top notch though for the style. He played on a lot of session recordings, some of which were for Jan and Dean, Phil Spector and Kim Fowley. There is just something charming about the simplicity of the tracks; the recording techniques, the aural encapsulation and bare bones basics of all things early 60's teen party music, SoCal style that is.
Any way, I likes.
the royal knights of the scary spooky and I.....
..this was taken mere moments before we returned to the stage for what would be our 5th encore of the night, of course this was to be our now infamous last show ever.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Word por la dia
"Liminality":
The liminal state is characterized by ambiguity, openness, and indeterminacy. One's sense of identity dissolves to some extent, bringing about disorientation. Liminality is a period of transition where normal limits to thought, self-understanding, and behavior are relaxed - a situation which can lead to new perspectives.
People, places, or things may not complete a transition, or a transition between two states may not be fully possible. Those who remain in a state between two other states may become permanently liminal.
The liminal state is characterized by ambiguity, openness, and indeterminacy. One's sense of identity dissolves to some extent, bringing about disorientation. Liminality is a period of transition where normal limits to thought, self-understanding, and behavior are relaxed - a situation which can lead to new perspectives.
People, places, or things may not complete a transition, or a transition between two states may not be fully possible. Those who remain in a state between two other states may become permanently liminal.
changelings....
ok, i was never a D&D guy, nor a fantasy guy, nor a neo-druid guy, and I suppose it goes without saying I wasn't a Tolkien buff or anything quite along those lines. However, being of mainly celtic genetics, I have been doing a little research intoall things celtic/gaelic/irish. Lately I've been reading up on Celtic mythology, ( pre-christian, pre-roman),. One of the many interesting items I've stumbled upon is that of "changelings". They were thought to be creatures created by trolls to look like human children. Secretly trolls left changlings in a manner in which they'd be discovered by humans, of course all the while, the humans were ignorant to the fact that the creature was indeed, a changeling. So far in my readings it is hard to pin down exactly why "trolls" would do this. Also, the notion of Changlings is not exclusivly a Celtic one, it was merely their mythology that led me to be aware of the myth.
Either way, here are some early 20th century paintings by John Bauer of some changelings and trolls and lions and tigers and bears oh my!
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Samgye-tang - Ginseng Chicken Soup
Make this:
2 whole chicken (about 1 pound (450 g), cleaned)
1/2 cup (100g) glutinous rice
4 Jujube (Korean Dates), dried
2 fresh ginseng (about 5 inches long)
2 chestnuts
2 ginkgo nuts .
4 cloves garlic
pepper
salt
1. Wash the rice thoroughly and drain it.
2. Stuff the chickens with the rice, jujubes, ginsengs, chestnuts, ginkgo nuts, and garlic
cloves.
3. Cross and bind the chickens legs with thread to keep the stuffing in.
4. Put the stuffed chickens in the pot. Add 10 cups of water and simmer them over low heat for about 2 to 3 hours.
5. Transfer the chickens with their broth to the individual bowls. Serve the salt mixed with pepper in a small bowl as a seasoning dip.
2 whole chicken (about 1 pound (450 g), cleaned)
1/2 cup (100g) glutinous rice
4 Jujube (Korean Dates), dried
2 fresh ginseng (about 5 inches long)
2 chestnuts
2 ginkgo nuts .
4 cloves garlic
pepper
salt
1. Wash the rice thoroughly and drain it.
2. Stuff the chickens with the rice, jujubes, ginsengs, chestnuts, ginkgo nuts, and garlic
cloves.
3. Cross and bind the chickens legs with thread to keep the stuffing in.
4. Put the stuffed chickens in the pot. Add 10 cups of water and simmer them over low heat for about 2 to 3 hours.
5. Transfer the chickens with their broth to the individual bowls. Serve the salt mixed with pepper in a small bowl as a seasoning dip.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Thursday, May 8, 2008
this guy, right here....
Francois Rabelais
.....well he wrote some words, on paper, and they came out like this...
"Burn 'em, tear 'em, nip 'em with hot pincers, drown 'em, hang 'em, spit 'em at the bunghole, pelt 'em, paut 'em, bruise 'em, beat 'em, cripple 'em, dismember 'em, cut 'em, gut 'em, bowel 'em, paunch 'em, thrash 'em, slash 'em, gash 'em, chop 'em, slice 'em, slit 'em, carve 'em, saw 'em, bethwack 'em, pare 'em, hack 'em, hew 'em, mince 'em, flay 'em, boil 'em, broil 'em, roast 'em, toast 'em, bake 'em, fry 'em, crucify 'em, crush 'em, squeeze 'em, grind 'em, batter 'em, burst 'em, quarter 'em, unlimb 'em, behump 'em, bethump 'em, belam 'em, belabour 'em, pepper 'em, spitchcock 'em, and carbonade 'em on gridirons, these wicked heretics! decretalifuges, decretalicides, worse than homicides, worse than patricides, decretalictones of the devil of hell."
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
THIS HERE LINK WILL LINK YOU TO SOME SHOW FROM THE 80's FROM ENGLANDLAND THAT WAS QUITE GOOD, THE INCREDIBLY STRANGE FILM SHOW
an introduction to the purpose and servitude of the meanderings....
an online scrapbook. so I may keep track of the points of interest the brain in my head manages to bump into as my consciousness meanders through the world of the living. Wellkomen!
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